micro ferrets

[droid 11]

 

If you don't know the answer to that one, you have short-term memory loss.

 

I don't need to work ferrets to recognise a money-making scheme. How long have ferrets been domesticated/used for rabbiting? Isn't it just possible that if micro-ferrets were better for ferreting they'd have been developed a long time ago? Especially as it's not that long ago that people relied on the products of ferreting, rather than did it as a hobby.....

[don1 1]

a ferret is a ferret i use jills and hobs mainly jills as every one nows they dnt usually kill as easy but all ways handy to have a hob any one agree??

[Coneytrappr 30]

 

If you don't know the answer to that one, you have short-term memory loss.

 

I don't need to work ferrets to recognise a money-making scheme. How long have ferrets been domesticated/used for rabbiting? Isn't it just possible that if micro-ferrets were better for ferreting they'd have been developed a long time ago? Especially as it's not that long ago that people relied on the products of ferreting, rather than did it as a hobby.....

 

Hi Droid,

 

I believe you and I thoroughly agree on the topic of hybrids, angoras and fancy colours, but I also believe that the smaller lines of fert are definitely viable beyond being a gimmick. They do typically have a harder time killing under than big ferts [i have a large hob who, if he catches underground, will kill the rabbit within half a minute. And has been known to then be stuck behind it in the tube...a real pain in the neck.]and in some areas this is a real benefit. The ground I work is extremely rocky and my largest hob has been banned from these warrens, as digging is near impossible. Even average sized jills can be a bit 'much' for this place.

I will soon be obtaining a smaller than average jill specifically for this area and have very little doubt as to the benefits of it's size. The way I see it, if it has a practical use then it isn't a gimmick...if it has no practical use- angoras, hybrids, breeding for fancy colours- then it is.

The smaller ferts certainly have a practical use, and whilst some may try to make money from them, that does not negate that they are prefferable in certain situations.

 

I don't really place much faith in ye olden days ferreters. It was once common to snap their teeth out and feed them bread and milk, so I won't be looking to the past for guidance regarding their sizes, either.

[Kay 3,709]

a ferret is a ferret i use jills and hobs mainly jills as every one nows they dnt usually kill as easy but all ways handy to have a hob any one agree??

 

 

I think its just the same as having a different ''type'' of dog for a different job, even though its still ferreting , perhaps the smaller ferets will become usefull on small areas that need covering , and then bigger ferrets for other areas

[-=Magwitch=- 29]

 

If you don't know the answer to that one, you have short-term memory loss.

 

The point I was making if your just a fluffy ferret owner and you don't work your animals you won't know the advantages of having a smaller ferret, ask yourself why do some people keep whippets instead of greyhounds? Horses for courses and all that malarky...............................

[leec 132]

any one want to come out for a day with there micro ferts? ill work my normal to big ferts you use your micros,a big fert or at least a decent big fert can do anything a little un can but a micro can not keep up with a normal size or bigger fert through the run of a day,work 4 micro ill work 4 normal/big ferts,not to say mines better than yours or any of that crap just put it to the test see whats what,maybe my half dozen or more micros were crap?

[dogs-n-natives 1,182]

Ive been after a couple of small jills for a good while, as I keep my own strain of ferrets which are good rabbiters, but they get stuck too much in the rat warrens, and I do a lot of ratting with the ferrets.

 

If anyone has a good small strain and will have a couple of spare kits later this year, please let me know.... im not interested in the folk that have them purely as a novelty item, or want silly money. I just want a couple of small working ferrets for ratting with.

[droid 11]

The point I was making if your just a fluffy ferret owner and you don't work your animals you won't know the advantages of having a smaller ferret, ask yourself why do some people keep whippets instead of greyhounds? Horses for courses and all that malarky...............................

 

Thank you Magwitch....never been called 'fluffy' before

 

I can understand the use of a 'smaller ferret', there's been a couple of examples in the thread already, but my understanding is that 'micros' are a degree smaller still than normal small ferrets.

 

And that's leaving out 'greyhound' ferrets. I had a jill which though small in cross-section was a long old thing. Where do they come in? Because remembering the local ferreters ferrets when I was a kid (40 years ago) they were all 'greyhound' types and quite small.

[solostoke 1]

big uns cant get in rat holes ;-)

i like my little jills but wouldnt class them as micros.

ferrets have been bred to this size at the moment after 2000 years so is everyone saying we have reached the perfect size?? or will people breed micros for ratting and normal ones for rabits lol??? like whippets and greyhounds as previously mentioned?

i find my jills to be good because they can slip through rabbit nets unlike my big hobs but they are useful for moving on the jills if they kill under.

just my thoughts ..... atb

[hunterdave 27]

i have 5 ferrets 2 norm and 3 greyhounds went 2 scotland larst nov took 1 greyhound with me as well as other ferrets the greyhound work the b....x a lot better then there others we ended up bringing 82 rabbits home not for getting the ones the birds mist these little ferrets will kick anything out if its in there thay will puch it out my hob is only about 7ins long

[Kate28 22]

what does it matter,so long as thier healthy if thats what some people wont who cares,i keep hybred pole cats they work well handle well and are healthy,but some folk get in a right twist about them,i give the kits to friend's that ferret with me,or sell them to good people for the same as my other ferret kits,certainly not making money from them.

each to their own i say and if you dont wont or like them dont have one,simple

[Coneytrappr 30]

any one want to come out for a day with there micro ferts? ill work my normal to big ferts you use your micros,a big fert or at least a decent big fert can do anything a little un can but a micro can not keep up with a normal size or bigger fert through the run of a day,work 4 micro ill work 4 normal/big ferts,not to say mines better than yours or any of that crap just put it to the test see whats what,maybe my half dozen or more micros were crap?

 

Bud, if we were in the same country it would be a good experiment, but I assure you that your large ferts would deal you out the same grief that my large ferts dealt me, in the rock warrens on my permission.

Again, it comes down to what you want the ferrets to do. I'm not getting a small fert with the intention of hammering a bunch of warrens that an average fert could work, nor do I expect it to 'keep up' with my day to day ferts...I want to be able to selectively enter it to clear warrens where digging is impossible. I don't just mean 'five plus hours of backbreaking graft', I mean literally impossible. Places where the rabbits have wormed down into cracks and dug their warrens under massive rocks.

I won't need it to work every warren I come across...just the ones where a dinky fert will be less likely to get stuck.

[Kay 3,709]

My understanding of '' micro ferret'' is a tiny animal not much bigger than an average hampster , tiny sharp features & in my opinion rather sickly looking , i took 2 on around 10 yrs ago & neither lived long no more than a few months , they were just not right , cant explain it really , i think it may come from the fact they didnt have a very good start

 

Having them from kits who by the breeders own admittence said there underfed deliberatly , Even after feeding them what i thought was a decent amount they didnt really grow a great deal & i simply found them to not be very curious & playfull like other kits i have had , they just simply faded , i did have both ferrets to the vets & they could find nothing wrong physically

[theferreter 311]

i use average size jills that can take a bita of a kicking when down burrows dont think them micro ferrets could take any punishement of a big rabbit think they would be more suited 2 ratting

[Countryboyo 0]

any photos of micros